106

The title of this blog entry is brought to you by the temperature in Las Vegas right now. It's so hot I've decided I'm going to run the track at the gym - it's either die from heat stroke or boredom and I've decided boring would be less painful.

The thing is, I hate my gym. I'm so intimidated going there because of the people who also go there. I'm not a fitness model or MMA competitor or professional 'cocktail model' nor could I be one. For one thing, I'm not very good looking to begin with, for second when I work out it is not a pretty sight. My face turns bright red and I mean BRIGHT red. I basically look like I've been holding my breath for an hour and it doesn't calm down for probably another hour. I'm pretty sure people get worried that I might pass out at any moment.

My clothes do not match. I wear the same outfit to work out in because its the only thing that fits. It only happens to be shorts and a tank because if I wore any more clothes I may take on extra weight from all the sweat just walking to the door.
The women at my gym wear outfits. Not just my sweats match my tank outfits, like... I was on the cover of Muscle and Fitness last month and this was my cover outfit. Sigh.

So here I go. Fitness World. Week Six workout #1.

Week 5 Day 2

I have been using a WAUN or RULK (walk/run run/walk) interval training by Podrunner.com for their couch to 5K series. Today's run was basically two 8 minute runs with a short walk in between. I didn't get all the way through the last 8 minute run without walking, which is totally annoying.

The last two times I've run, I feel super heavy even though the week before I felt awesome. According to my favorite trainer Chris Bartl this is called "the grind." The time when the excitement wears off of starting your new program and the plateau begins. I'm not losing as much weight as I am gaining muscle so my clothes are getting tighter. That's a fabulous feeling. When you are working out and you're clothes are getting tight. This is when I start thinking .. why am I doing this?

I'm doing this because I've paid for a marathon and I'm going to run it. And I'll finish it too.

Run Fat Girl Run

I started training for a marathon about 5 weeks ago. I know, I know, what was I thinking? Good question. I think, at the time, I thought to myself - this could be a great way to work on your 'issues' while getting back into shape. Or, hey why don't you torture yourself for 8 months by attempting to run 26.2 miles in one swoop when you've never been a runner in your life.

See, I've always envied people who could run. They look graceful and active and athletic ... well basically everything I'm not. It's something they can do on their own or with friends. It's something they don't need gear for - besides shoes and a road and I REALLY don't need another hobby that has expensive gear to go with it.

So, from here on out, this blog will follow my attempts at running. It will follow my thoughts, the weird things that happen on my runs (you know there will be some) and anything related to running until the marathon on December 6, 2009.

So, I hope you enjoy what is about to happen. That being me transitioning from a chair bound office worker with 'secretary spread' and 'spare tire' to an athlete. A competitive athlete.

Ok, lets not get carried away... Athlete is good.